Crowdfunding has emerged as one of the effective ways for entrepreneurs to test a market while gaining the financial support needed to turn their idea into reality. With tens of thousands of campaigns on platforms like Kickstarter, Patreon, and IndieGogo, you may be wondering how your campaign can stand out from the rest. For most people, that answer is to use video content, which has exploded in popularity over recent years and shows no signs of slowing down.
Video content is a popular tool for marketers in delivering messages in an entertaining yet meaningful way. As more internet users access videos than any other content format, nonprofit organizations can benefit from this opportunity to include videos in their campaigns.
Crowdfunding video campaigns offer new opportunities for nonprofit organizations looking to get off the ground with minimal startup costs. Since the one big challenge they may face is to stand out within crowded spaces such as social media, where competition runs rampant amongst seasoned veterans, video content has been a great option for them to connect with the targeted audience much easier.
What Is a crowdfunding campaign?
Crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or venture by raising monetary contributions from a group or individuals within a short period of time. It’s a new way to fundraise for creative projects, nonprofit organizations, startups, and personal expenses.
This method has been relatively new in the past few years. However, it’s been gaining momentum among nonprofits as well as the general public—both individuals and organizations alike to use crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter or GoFundMe to raise money on behalf of specific causes they care about, including charitable work.
There are two major models of crowdfunding:
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Donation-based funding
In this model, donors contribute to funding the organization by sending the total donations for a certain project.
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Investment crowdfunding
Businesses or organizations seek capital investment to build and expand their operations. Those who fund in this type of crowdfunding will later become the owner or shareholder of the respective company.
In order to convince benefactors to fund your organization, you need to share a proposal that hooks them from the very beginning. In this case, crowdfunding videos will help you spread the cause to connect with potential sponsors.
The cause could be anything; whether you launch a new product or start a movement, incorporating video content can reach more people. For example, you can use product video as part of your crowdfunding campaigns to convince benefactors what you’re going to produce. Or, use social footage in your crowdfunding videos when you want to start a humanitarian cause.
How crowdfunding videos improve nonprofit campaigns
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Videos are more engaging than text
Many groups and individuals launch the campaign on crowdfunding platforms such as Kickstarter and goFundMe. However, there are tons of similar campaigns that one should compete to get attention. In order to set the campaign apart from the rest, organizations use videos to engage people who come across their pages.
According to a study, 73% of marketers worldwide agree that video content is an efficient way to communicate and that 88% say that it’s more effective in conveying complicated messages than articles.
Unlike written messages that potentially leave people bored midway, videos allow viewers to grasp messages easier with the help of images and sounds. People enjoy watching videos because they offer an easy and quick explanation that textual content doesn’t.
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Videos boost SEO score and page rank
When you post videos on your website, it increases the chance of people visiting compared to providing only text-based posts or articles. It also results in 10 times more page views than posts containing only images and is the second most engaging content type next to audio files with 150% more views on average than all other types combined.
Video content is the third most likely type of content to rank highly in Google behind news or media sites and blogs (i.e., posts containing lots of keywords). Search engines love video content; for this reason, so including videos on your crowdfunding campaigns will help improve your site’s SEO ranking considerably over time.
As a result, more people can quickly find your projects whenever they search for certain phrases or keywords on the Google search engine. Moreover, your crowdfunding video campaigns will be shared through multiple social platforms, allowing you to reach a broader audience.
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Videos deliver captivating stories
Video stories can be much more powerful than text or images in emotionally engaging potential donors, with videos sharing your message to a much larger audience. They let you tell your story and connect with supporters on an emotional level in ways that nothing else can do.
Incorporating video content for your crowdfunding campaign can improve the storytelling that evokes emotion and improve empathy to understand your cause. Since videos consist of audio and visuals, elements where people can easily resonate from the start, you can connect with potential benefactors without trying hard to convince them.
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Campaign videos help build trust
Video content will help you to establish trust. Sponsors are willing to donate more money if they feel the organization is sincere about making a difference in their community.
People are more likely to support organizations with campaigns that use video storytelling since it presents them with an authentic depiction of your cause or project. Donors can get an impression of how their funds are being used and how it helps solve issues affecting the underprivileged.
They would be able to see firsthand what lies beyond their donation. That’s why building trust should never be removed to later stages in your campaign once you have raised enough funds.
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Videos increase conversion rates
People are more likely to back you up if they see proof of your cause. Videos give potential donors a glimpse of what the organization is all about and provide them with such a reliable depiction that they might feel inclined to donate.
Since videos can show exactly how their money will be used, it becomes easier for people to understand what your organization does and why they should contribute.
Videos are a great way to share information with the public, and they will help you increase your donations. About 90% of people report that branded videos have helped them make purchase decisions, which you can take the opportunity to persuade them to fund your organization.
Bottom line
Video content has evolved into an essential tool for marketers, leaders, and business owners to spread the word in a meaningful way. It has become exceptionally important for nonprofit organizations looking for a way to get off the ground without spending dollars at the very beginning.
If you want to reach out to a bigger audience and aim to collect benefactors to help you realize the cause, you can use videos in your crowdfunding campaigns. Videos are easy to understand and make great introductory content for your organization. Make sure to research before making the video, so you can connect with the right people who are also willing to support your project.
